Metal-drawing apparatus



L. H. BRINKMAN.

METAL DRAWING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION man Nov. 16. 1916.

1,414,500. Patented May 2,1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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TRIVEY L. H. BRINKMAN.

METAL DRAWING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. Is. I9Ie.

1,414,500, Batentea May/2,1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

@/r/a-C WM #ATTORI/Ey UNITED STATES /PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS H. BRINKMAN, OF GLEN RIDGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, `TO GENERAL SEAMLESS TUBE COMPANY, OF BLOOMFIELD, NEW JERSEY,

A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

METAL-DRAWING APPARATUS.

Application led November To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, LOUIS H. BRINKMAN, a citizen of the United States. residing at Glen Ridge, county of Essex, State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Metal-Drawing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for drawing down metal rods or tubes wherein the die and the metal operated upon are relatively rotat-able.

The invention is particularly applica-ble to ball dies but may nd use in apparatus of other types.

Vhere the metal is operated upon by a single rotating die member or by a number of die members rotating in the same direction, the torsional force exerted upon the rod or tube is very great and is likely to result in its distortion or even rupture. This is especially true where hot metal is operated upon. e

It is the main obj ect'of the present invention to reduce the torsional force exerted by the die upon the rod or tube and this is accomplished by operating upon the metal by a plurality of die members which rotate in opposite directions so that the torsional force of one is reduced or neutralized by the torsional force of another, the resultant torsion upon the tube being thus reduced or neutralized. f

'It may be further observed that increasing the number of die members operating upon the metal decreases, for a given-totalreduction, the reduction which must take place at each die member. This reduces the torsional stress on the tube at each die member and, the different members being reversely rotated so as to reduce or neutralize their combined torsional effect, both the local stresses due to the individual die members as well as their resultant torsional stress upon the work will be reduced.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved die cooling means.

Other and ancillary objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, of a metal drawing machine or apparatus embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 2, 1922.`

16, 1916. Serial No. 131,631.

/ Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the die on an enlarged scale partially in vertical section,

Fig. 4 is a top plan View on an enlarged scale of the motor and die mechanism, the die being shown partially in horizontal axial section, and with a fluid cooled mandrel projecting within it as is desirable in drawing hot tubes, and

Fig. 5 is a view on a still further enlarged scale of the dieapparatus, this view being similar to Fig. 4 except that no mandrel is shown, the apparatus being adapted to be used as sho-wn for drawing rods or the mandrel may be inserted for drawing tubes.

Referring to the drawings, l is a platform or table on one end of which is mounted a rotary motor 2, and the ball die mechanism 3 as hereinafter referred to. To the left of this mechanism I provide a furnace such as a gas furnace 4, mounted on legs 5 and having a series of gas pipes 6. This heater is hollow so as to permit the insertion of a mandrel 7 therethrough when tubes are being drawn, and so as to receive the tube 8 to be heated and drawn.

At the rear of the motor and die a trackway 9 extends along the table in alignment with the die. A draw head 10 and a following block 11 are mounted on the trackway, and the following block is provided with a pair of tongs 12 having their gripping jaws 13 adapted to grip onto a plug or other suitable means 14`secured in the end of the tube lgeared to the sprocket wheel 20 through the .l

gear wheels 22, 23, 24,' 25.

When the machine is used for drawing tubes instead of rods, I provide. a mandrel 7 above referred tofwhich is supported at one end in an open slot 26 in the head of a pillow block 27. The mandrel is preferably of considerably less diameter than the tube to be drawn, and extends through the furnace 4 to the ball die mechanism proper and is providedwith an enlarged head 28 lying within the ball die mechanism and of the desired inner diameter of the finished tube.

The die provides for the rotation of sets of die balls 129 and 130 in ,opposite directions. The motor 2 is mounted at one side of the die as shown. The shaft 110 driven by the motor drives beveled gear 111 which meshes with gears on the rings 112 and 113 supported from the casing by means of ball bearings 114 and 115, so that as the gear 111 rotates the rings 112 and 113 are driven in opposite directions. The casing of the die is split transversely of its axis along the line 116, the two halves being bolted together after the parts have been assembled therein, and it is provided with feet 117 and 118 by which it may be secured to the frame of the machine. From the side of the casing extends a project-ion 119 in which the shaft 110 is supported by means of ball bearings 120, the end of the projection being closed by a cap 121. Vithin the annular rings 112 and 113 are screw threaded the annular cheek plates 122 and 123. Normally the cheek plates are secured to the rings 112 and 113, so as to rotate therewith, by means of a key or keys as 124 and 124 which extend into recesses in both the rings and cheek plates and may be withdrawn ,through holes as 125 and 126 in the casing.

A number of circumferentially distributed recesses 15 may be. formed on one or both of the members so that the rings and cheek plates may be locked in a number of different relative positions. The inner surfaces 127 and 128 of the annular cheek plates are beveled or inclined as shown and limit the outward movement of the sets of die balls 129 'and 130 which encircle and operate upon the tube orI rod. The cheek plates are, for convenience of construction, formed of two parts as shown. A series of die balls 129 bear against the race ring 131 which is supported by means of ball bearings 132, from the casing. On the opposite side the series of balls 129 bear against the race ring 133 which is separated by the ball bearings 134 from the race ring 135 at one side of the series of die balls 130. On the other side of the last mentioned series ot balls is the plug 136 which carries at its inner end the bearing surface for the balls 130r and is screw threaded in the casing so that it is adjustable. It is secured in any adjusted position by means of the lock nut 137. Circumferential lips or ledges 138 and 139 prcvent the die balls from falling out when there is no metal in the die. The ball bearings 134 are supported in a circumferential rib 140 extending from the casing and containing annular channels 141 and 142 communicatin with an inlet 143 for water or other coo ing fluid. Openings 144 and 145 permit Ithe cooling fluid to spurt from the chambers 141 and l42'upon the die balls 129 andi130, keeping them cool and washing away the scale, these openings being distributed circumferentially about the die. The fluid is prevented from coming in contact with the hot metal by the centrifugal action occasioned by the rotating of the die and is finally drained out through the holes 146 and 147 in the bottom of the'casing. The rod or tube to be` acted upon enters the die passage 148 whence it passes within the series of die balls 130. It then passes through the passage 149 and through'the series of die balls 129 into the passage 150 whence it emerges from the die. It will be seen that the lateral race rings for the die balls may be adjusted axially of the die by adjusting the nut 136. The sets of die balls may be adjusted radially of the die independently of each other by adjusting the cheek plates 122 and 123. The cheek plate 123 may be adjusted by withdrawing the key 124 and turning the cheek plate with relation to the gear ring 113. This will move the cheek plate axially according to the direction of turning and the inclined face 128 will accordingly permit the die balls to recede from or force them nearer to the center of the die. The desired adjustment having been effected the key 124 may be reinserted, locking the cheek plate to the gear ring. The cheek plate 122 and die balls 129 may be similarly adjusted. In the apparatus as shown the balls 130 are adjusted at such a distance from the die axis that a certain reduction in the rod or tube is effected while the die balls 129 are adjusted closer to that axis and effect a further reduction.

The cooling fluid coming in jets from the stationary casing rib, alights upon the balls, cooling them and,4 being thrown outwardly by centrifugal action, washing the scale into the outer casing whence it is drained off' as before referred to.

The mandrel shown in Fig. 4 is adapted to the drawing of tubes wherein both the thickness of the metal and the inner diameter of the tube is reduced, the structure of the mandrel being the same as is described for this purpose in my Patent No. 1,203,306. Other forms of mandrel might be used for other purposes; for instance it might be of the form for reducing the thickness of the tube without reducing its internal diameter as described in my patent just mentione-d. The mandrel also, as in that other patent, may consist of a hollow tube 56 whichV carries at itsI end the enlarged head 28 to the interior of which the tube 56 opens. Also as in that other patent a small tube 57 for cooling purposes may extend from the hollow mandrel in the tail thereof to the enlarged head. This tube 57 may be connected with a source of water or other,

cooling fluid 58 whence Water will fiow -130 through the tube 57 into the mandrel head and out through the hollow mandrel. This will prevent the mandrel frombecoming overheated by the furnace and the hot tube.

The operation of the machine as described is as follows:

The mandrel 7 is lifted out of the socket 26 and the tube 8 to be drawn is slipped over the rear end of the mandrel'and into the furnace 4 where, after its forward end has been heated, the .plug 14 is threaded or otherwise secured into the forward end of the tube and gripped by the tongs 12, which are then connected to the draw head 10. The desired adjustment of the balls having been effected, the motor 2 driving the ball die is started up, the cooling fluid turned `on, and the handle 17 of the draw head is then operated to throw the hook 16 into engagement with one of the links of the endless chain 18 whereupon the tube is drawn forward through the ball die, the die balls forcing the tube against the mandrel head to effect reduction as before described. After the tube has been completely drawn through the die, the handle 17 -will be thrown back to release the hook in the well known manner, whereupon the. apparatus maybe. prepared for the next drawand the operation repeated.

While the invention has been illustrated i in what are considered its best applications, it may have other embodiments within the scope of the appended claims.

1. In a metal drawing apparatus, the combination with a die having a series. of balls having a rotating support, of means for projecting a jet of cooling fluid onto said balls, said die having passages through which the fluid is forced by centrifugal action without coming in contact with the hot metal being drawn.

2. In a metal drawing apparatus, the combination with a die having a casing, a plurality of series ofv balls mounted therein, means for supporting said series comprising rotatable rings, gearing for rotating said rings in opposite direct1ons, passages in the casing for receiving cooling fluid and having openings for introducing the fluid to the balls, there being passages through which the-fluid is forced outwardly from the balls to the casing by centrifugal action without coming in contact with the metal being drawn, and means for drawing the metal 'through the die.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification this 13th day of November, 1916.

Y LOUIS H. BRINKMAN. 

